The Dillon tribune., 1887-04-22

had Il itW OEAchS AOoSe"
wall Of one Of the lower passages
of this house and small recess mau
inst the place, I thought, in which my
notes would bc perfectly safe from any
conceivable accident until my return,
vhcp I intended to master the intricacies
of the caz, ct my leisure, and then at oncc
destrc.- tho dangerous paper. Meantime
lurri:,!ly shut it between the leaves Q!
The book had held in 1ly hand, rui'
dow, .t:ir;. thrust the book into the Ic-
cc:,:; replaced :lt: bricks. ,i;r;:lG upon M,
lc;.t. M, ."s,c oil 1T !,!ll r,:'"... ::
lh. dry ii: 1t" hi ;.>l' '":>:
tl,.,,iu from 1uy i.or.c I. lied on TIC
,ptt: and cve.. since II has been my dreary
fate to haunt this earthly home OF ln1nc
and try to avert the consequences OF my
sin--try to guard from any possibility OF
discovery tho fatal notes which ! so rashly
and wrongly made. Never until now
has any human being cared to speak to me
boldly as you have done; never until now
nas there seemed aught Of help for me 0r
hope nf delivcrance from this weary task;
but Eow--will you save INC? II show
you where my ,x,ok Is hidden, will you
swear by all that you hold most sacred to
destroy the paper that II contains without
reading it--uithout letting any human
eye see even one word vi its contents:
Win you pledge your word to do thta:''
II pledge my word to obey your wish to
the letter." said the bishop with -oi@'n.
nifty.
Tho gaze If the priests eyes was 50 III.
tense that they seemed to pierce his very
soul, but apparently the result Of tho scr,.-
tiny was satisfactory, for the phantom
turned away, with q deep sigh OF relief,
saying. Then follow !nc."
With q strange sense If unrcality the
bishop found himself following tho MP.
partition down tho broad staircase to the
ground floor, and then dawn II narrower
one Of stone that seemed to lea4l down {"
some cellars or vaults. Suddenly the priest
stopped and turned toward him.
"Th!s Ia the place." hc snil, placing his
hand ON the wall. 'l.e,novc this plaster
loosen the bricks and .ou viii lind behind
them the recess Of which spoke. M0rE
the spot we'll, and-relnclnbcr your prom,
isc.''
Following tho poiiling hand md ap
parent wish Of the .lx~tcr, the bishop
clesely examined the vail Il, tho spot IN
.iicated and thcn turntd to this priest tn
tsk another question: but To his lntenss.
establishment there v'na nu one therc--'!n'
was absolutely alone in the tlimly lighted
Dassage! Perhaps 'lc ought to have b<s'l,
prepared for this sudden disappearance,
hut it startled him more than he cared to
admit. even tu himself. He hurried up
the stairs and presented himself, still
breathless with the surprise. in the dining
room.
His prolonged ..i,sc,.cc hlu caused s<inc
comment, and HOW his ugitatetl appenr-
ance excited general attention Unable
for the moment to speak cOht.lrntly, his
only answer to the earnest questions ct
his host was u sign which referred him Il,
the hostess Tor explanation. With SOME
hesitation she confessed the crr;lnG upon
which her request had dispatche<l the
bishop, and, as mas easily Ike itnnx!ned,
tho intcnsest interest mud excitement were
ut once created. AS soon ns the bishop
had recovered his voice. he found himself
compelled to relate the story before the
entire party, conccalm>nt being now t,lt
0f the question. Celeh:ut1A w:.a his
eloquence, it. Is probable that Nv slxsch he
ever made was followed with closer at
tentiOn than this; and at its conclusion
there was no voice ~ oppose the demand
that mason Ike at once sent for to break
down the wall and search for confirma-
ton OF this weird yet dramnt Ideally circum-
stantial tale. After ii very short delay
the man arrived, and the whole Company
troOped eagerly down stairs under the
bishops guidance to watch the result Of
his labors. The bishop could hardly re-
press shuider ns he found himself once
more in the passage where his ghostiy
companion had vanished 50 uncerelnon-
jously, but lc indicated the exact su)t
which had been pointed out To him, and
the mason began to work upon it forth
with.
'The plaster seems very hard and firm"
remarked some one.
'Ycs," replied the host, 1T is Of excel.
lent quality and comparatively new; these.
vaults had long been dis,lseti. am told.
until my predecessor had the old brick
work required and plastere<l over only q
few years ago"
by this time the mason had succeeded
IN breaking away the plaster and loosen
ing brick or two ut the point indicated,
and though perhaps M one was actually
surprised, yet there was IL very percepti-
olc stir OF excitement among the guests
when he announced tho existence of u
CUPBOARD or cavity about two feet square
and eighteen inches deep in the thickness
Of the wall. The hos: pressed forward fo
look IN, but instantly recOllectiuv himself.
drew back and made way for the bishoD'
saying:
II was forgetting your promise for the
moment; to You alone belon Z, the right Of
the first investigation here
Pale, but collected, the bishop stepped
up to the cavity, and after onc glance nut
in his hand and drew forth !, heavily
bound, old fashioned book, thickly COW
cred with dust or mold 4 ,hr;ll ron
through the assembled guests ut the sight.
but no words broke the sile.:cc of awe
stricken expectation while he rcycreotlv